Recent high-profile data breaches in the retail, health care and banking sectors have proven that “falling short” isn’t limited to meeting guidelines. Part of the challenge includes the need to hire top talent to fill the increasingly vital role of Chief Security Officer (CISO), a position focused on addressing cybersecurity concerns across the enterprise.

The CISO role, some argue, is long overdue. As “Burns0011,” a commenter of the Reuters piece, so eloquently states: “After decades of ignoring IT security and sweeping it under the rug and underfunding, companies are FINALLY starting to clue in to how much damage a breach can do.”

The urgent nature by many companies to fill the crucial role of CISO has made this position one that commands a highly competitive salary. According to Reuters, large corporations have recently hired CISOs for between $500,000 and $700,000 a year.

Think those salaries are high? Then how about a CISO salary in the millions? Matt Comyns, global co-head of the cybersecurity practice at search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, states compensation for CISOs at some technology companies with generous equity grants have actually reached as high as $2 million!